Myth: Nitrate-rich vegetables lower high blood pressure.
Truth: This is false.
High blood pressure can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or other heart diseases. A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition sought to see if nitrate-rich vegetables could reduce high blood pressure. Nitrate-rich vegetables consist of beets, celery, lettuce, spinach, and radishes.
Participants went through different treatment periods to determine if the nitrate-rich vegetables make a difference. In one treatment period, participants ate high-nitrate vegetables. In the second treatment period, they ate low-nitrate vegetables, and in the last period, they had no increase in vegetables. The study found that eating an increased amount of nitrate-rich vegetables did not lower blood pressure. To read more about this study, click here.
Reference
- Blekkenhorst C, Lauren, et al. Nitrate-rich vegetables do not lower blood pressure in individuals with mildly elevated blood pressure: A 4-wk randomized controlled crossover trial. ASN. 2018. 107: 894-908. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy061
